18
B+WEXHIBITION OF THE MONTH
Formed in 1947, Magnum Photos represents some of the most
distinguished photographers of all time and has a rich archive of
negatives, prints and digital files. Rare pictures from the agency’s
resin print archive are now on show. Anna Bonita Evans reports.
NEWS
F
or the first time in
its 67-year history,
Magnum Photos has
opened its resin print
archive for a major
show at the De La
Warr Pavilion in Bexhill. With
three leading practitioners
each choosing a selection of
photographs from the collection,
the exhibition showcases
work by some of the greatest
photographers in the medium’shistory – but that’s not all. This
reinterpretation has formed new
meanings, understandings and
viewpoints about the prestigious
photography agency and has putone of its lesser-known archives
on centre stage.
Unlike its digital database
(which is constantly shifting as
photographers join and leavethe agency), Magnum’s resin
print catalogue has become
static. With images dating
from the early 1950s to the late
1990s, this archive includes
work by leading photographers,
such as Eve Arnold, Magnum
co-founder David ‘Chim’
Seymour, Stuart Franklin,
Martin Parr, René Burri and
Elliott Erwitt. Originally sent
as reference prints to editorial
and publishing clients, these‘My biggest surprise...was to discover just how
many [of the resin print] images were not online;
indeed well over 50 per cent of the imageschosen in the exhibition are not yet digitally
available via the website.’
Disco, Wolverhampton, 1978 © Chris Steele-Perkins/Magnum Photos
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